Makenna

Meaning of Makenna

Makenna, pronounced muh-KEN-uh, represents a contemporary given-name adaptation of the Irish surname McKenna, which itself descends from the Gaelic patronymic Mac Cionaoith, “son of Cionaoith,” the latter element traditionally glossed as “born of fire” in reference to the ancient Celtic divinity Aodh. The elision of the prefix “Mc” and the substitution of the suffix “-a” for the masculine “-a” of the surname recast the name into a distinctly feminine register while retaining its Celtic etymological core. In modern Anglo-American usage, Makenna surfaced in national U.S. birth statistics in the mid-1980s, climbed steadily for a quarter-century, and achieved its highest popularity in 2010 at rank 196 before entering a gradual decrescendo that nonetheless leaves it comfortably within the current Top 500. The name’s phonetic clarity, three-syllable cadence, and subtle evocation of elemental imagery have rendered it attractive to parents seeking a synthesis of traditional Gaelic heritage and contemporary styling; moreover, occasional associations with the Swahili word “makena,” meaning “happy one,” and with the Maui shoreline of Makena lend the name a cosmopolitan resonance without displacing its primary Irish provenance.

Pronunciation

English

• Pronunced as muh-KEN-uh (/məˈkɛnə/)

• Mackenzie
• Mikayla
• Makayla
• Maci
• Mckenna
• Makaylee
• Mckenzi